Bettelheim: During the mid-20 th century, Bettelheim was a self-styled expert on child development, and frequently appeared on TV, radio, and magazine covers. Here is a video of Bettelheim on the Dick Cavett show May 17, 1979, in which he states his position clearly: autism is caused not just by bad parenting but by parents who wish their child did not exist. From the perspective of today's knowledge, his words are chilling.

Here is a clip from my favorite documentary on autism, "Refrigerator Mothers," about how the children of people assumed to be uneducated were called emotionally disturbed (or a range of other diagnoses) rather than autistic. You can buy or rent the movie from Fanlight Productions, a wonderful company that has dozens of films about child development and disability.